It all starts here
by neko.with.a.chainsaw
Summary: Edward is the new student at Alchemist High, but something about him doesn't seem right. What will he do when Roy and the gang try to figure out what is wrong with our blond friend? RoyxEd. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

"Come on Roy-Boy! It's time to get up~" Roy grunted and rolled over in his bed, pulling the blanket over his head.

"Not now Maes," he heard his friend chuckle and then the blanket was pulled back revealing the sunlight, much to Roy's displeasure.

"Come on! We have to go to school today Roy-Boy!" Roy grunted again and stood up making Maes giggle. "You're getting into a habit of grunting aren't ya' Roy?"

Roy swatted a hand at his friend and walked over to his dresser were he removed a pair of dark washed jeans, a navy blue t-shirt and a black jacket. He walked past Meas in the door way and stepped down the hall to the bathroom were he shut and locked the door. Roy sighed heavily and leaned his head against the wall. Today was his first day at Alchemist High as a junior. It was a weird name for a school, but apparently the builder of it was fascinated with alchemy. Roy snorted as he stripped and turned the water on full blast. The hot water stung against his skin but he paid no mind to it. Roy was numb to the pain.

After he washed himself thoroughly, he dried of and quickly got dressed. Then Roy ran down stairs to grab some toast and his bag.

"Come on Maes! I'm leaving!" there was a loud thump as Roy was tackled by Maes little sister, Elicia. She was 8 years old and today was going to be her first day of elementary school. She looked up at Roy with big eyes.

"Why didn't you say goodbye to me big brother?" Roy sighed and pried Elicia off of him. She had started calling him big brother when he moved in with Hughes' family two years ago when the accident happened. Roy bent down and ruffled the girl's pigtailed head.

"Bye bye Elicia," she smiled up at him brightly.

"Bye bye big brother!" Roy sent her a small smile and turned to go out the door when Maes hooked his arm over his shoulder.

"Isn't she just a-do-ra-ble~" Roy shoved Maes off of him and chuckled.

"Shut up. We need to be going to school. Weren't you talking about how much you wanted to see _Gracia_ last night?" Roy arched an eyebrow and smirked as Maes' face lit up and he began to dance down the driveway to Roy's Mustang.

Roy had bought the car in spite of Maes. He thought it would be funny and then nobody would ever forget his name. His other friends at school had laughed as well.

"Hurry up Rooooy~" Maes whined as Roy slowly walked to the car and opened the door.

"Alright, alright. Just get in already," Maes smiled triumphantly and hoped in as the engine was started.

* * *

><p>"Okay class, today we are going to introduce you to a new student. Now please be kind to him, show your manners," Roy sighed and leaned his head n his palm. Hopefully this new student wouldn't be some stuck up asshole.<p>

"Please welcome Edward Elric," Roy looked out the window as he heard some girls whisper 'he's cute' and 'I wonder if he is single'.

"Hi," the voice was high pitched and almost girly. Roy looked up and towards the front of the classroom and his eyes widened at the sight. A short boy stood at the front of the class donning a long red coat, a black tank top and black leather pants that tucked into combat boots. He had long blond hair tied back into a braid and bright gold eyes that made Roy shiver. His heart began to beat faster when their eyes met. A smirk made its way onto Edwards face as he noticed Roy staring at him.

"Now Edward let's put you in the seat right by… Maes!" the teacher pointed to the seat next to Maes which was, thankfully, two seats away from Roy.

"Okay ma'am," Edward walked up to the seat and sat down as Maes stuck his hand out to the short boy.

"Hi, I'm Maes Hughes," he grasped the hand lightly with his gloved hand and smiled.

"I'm Edward, but you can call me Ed," Maes returned the smile and turned back to the board as the teacher began droning on about chemistry. It seemed like all of the teachers in this school were fascinated by science and alchemy.

* * *

><p>"So what did you think of the new kid, huh Roy?" Roy shrugged his shoulders as they walked down the hallway.<p>

"Aw come on! I saw how you looked at him," Maes bumped Roy playfully and giggled when his friend growled at him.

"I do _not _like the kid Maes."

"Why Roy, I never said that you_ liked _the boy did I?" Roy frowned and grumbled and Maes laughed at his friends grumpy mood.

"Look! There he is now! Let's go say…"when Maes voice trailed off Roy looked over to see Ed standing by the wall alone. That is, until they saw a younger boy with short light brown hair and gold eyes like Ed's except they looked happier and had a light felling to them.

"Brother!" he called out as he ran up to Edward and gave him a hug. Ed laughed and ruffled the boys hair.

"Hey there Alphonse, how was your day so far?"

"It was good! And guess what? Winry is in the same class as me!" Alphonse smiled up as a look of shock and relief flashed across his face.

"Winry huh?" he scratched the back of his head and nodded slowly, then smiled at his younger brother. "Come on Al, let's go get lunch. I'm starving!" Al chuckled as he and his brother walked towards the cafeteria.

"You're always hungry brother."

Roy and Maes watched them walk off curiously. Maes smiled at Roy and then proceeded to drag him to the cafeteria. They each grabbed one of the school lunches and sat down at a table with their other friends; Riza Hawkeye, Jean Havoc, Kain Fuery, Vato Falman and Heymans Breda.

"Hello everyone! Did you guys see the new kid Edward Elric yet?" Riza and Jean nodded. They were also in Roy's morning classes. Fuery fidgeted slightly and adjusted his glasses. Roy saw this out of the corner of his eyes and turned to Fuery.

"I can see that you want to tell us something Fuery. Please do so," they all turned towards him expectantly.

"W-well there was also a new kid in my class. His name is Alphonse Elric," Fuery was in the year under them. Maes nodded and stared off into space thoughtfully.

"Well then they must be brothers because we saw them as they were entering the cafeteria. Do you know a girl named Winry?" Maes turned back to Fuery as he nodded.

"Yes. Her name is Winry Rockbell and she is also in the automotive classes," Maes nodded again and a serious look crossed his face as he began to think again.

"So… why are you so interested in this Maes?" Jean asked with a confused look on his face. The others nodded in agreement and looked over at Hughes as a smile spread across the man's face.

"Well Roy-Boy here has a little crush on Edward," Maes poked at Roy's shoulder as a look of horror crossed Roy's face.

"I do not have a crush on him!"

"Crush on who?" they both turned around to see Alphonse staring at them questioningly. Ed was walking in front of him and looked back when he heard Al speak. A sly smile spread across Maes face.

"Well you see my dear friend Roy here has a crush on your-"Roy clamped a hand over Maes mouth.

"Say another word and I will kill you," Ed laughed, making Roy's head snap up to look at the boy. Al looked over at Ed in surprise, making Maes wonder.

"Brother, do you know these people?"

"Yeah Al. they are in my class. The bastard trying to kill the one in glasses is Roy, the victim is Maes. Those two are Riza and Jean," Ed pointed at them all as he spoke but then stopped when he saw the other three. He scratched his head.

"I don't know the others," Alphonse looked over at them and smiled when he saw Fuery. Fuery smiled back and waved. Ed turned to walk away when Al spoke up.

"Do you mind if we sit with you?"

"What!?" Al looked back at his brother pleadingly.

"Pretty please?" Al gave him puppy eyes as Maes laughed as he wiggled out of Roy's grip.

"Sure, you can sit with us!" Al smiled and sat down, then patted the seat next to him while looking at Ed.

"Come on brother," Ed grumbled but sat down anyways.

* * *

><p>"Bye guys!" Alphonse yelled out to them as he ran to catch up with his brother.<p>

Maes waved goodbye and then turned back to the others with a concerning look on his face.

"Something seems strange about Edward. I'm worried about him," Riza frowned.

"Yes something did seem off about him."

"Off? You just met the guy!" Jean yelled throwing his hands into the air. Maes shook his head.

"You should have been paying attention more Havoc. The kid was wearing gloves and his brother kept on sending him worried looks at lunch when he thought nobody was looking. Also, when I shook hands with Ed, his hand didn't feel entirely normal to say," Roy frowned as they spoke. As Maes continued he grew more worried, which was unlike Roy. He hasn't felt this much emotion over someone since the accident two years ago.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay guys this is the first chapter! As you can tell it will be a RoyxEd ad sorry if I made mistakes. I know I should be working on my other fanfics but hey, a girl can live right?<strong>

**Hope you guys like this chapter! Please review!  
><strong>**Love and Yaoi,  
><strong>**NWAC**


	2. Chapter 2

"Alphonse, when we get home, go straight to your room."

"But-"

"No but's Al. I'm doing this to protect you, alright? I'll be fine. I always have been," Al nodded slowly as they approached the door of their house. The lights were out, which meant that their father was working still. They unlocked the door and went in, locking it as they took off their shoes and set them on a mat by the door.

Ed froze when he heard the sound of a car door slamming. He quickly snapped out of his daze and pushed Al up the stairs.

"Ed-"he gave Al his bag as well, since they shared a room with each other.

"Go!" Ed shoved Al again just as a key was slid into the door knob. Ed stood himself in front of the stairs as Al hurried to their room, he knew better then to start a fight with Edward now.

Ed flinched slightly when the front door opened and closed quickly, letting in their father. A foul taste filled Ed's mouth as the man walked over to him and looked down at his eldest son. A smile slid across his features as Ed frowned.

"How is my dear Edo doing?" the frown deepened on Ed's features. This didn't seem right.

"Fine, Hohenheim," Hohenheim didn't seem very pleased with the answer from his son. He grabbed Ed's braid and yanked him up to his face. Ed let out a squeak and pulled at the hand yanking at his hair. Hohenheim leaned in close to Ed's face, his breath smelt of booze and garlic.

"Is that how you are supposed to address me?"

"No sir. Sorry, sir," Hohenheim smiled at the answer. It was better when his son acted submissively, or else Alphonse might get hurt, and Ed never wanted Al to be hurt because of him.

"Good. Now keep your mouth shut, you got that you useless piece of crap?" Hohenheim spit in Ed's face as he spoke. The anger boiled inside of his father as he let out a small 'Yes sir'. Still gripping onto his hair, Hohenheim brought Ed down to his knee, knocking the wind out of him but not getting a noise. Hohenheim liked it when Ed cried out, because then he had more of an excuse to punish the ungrateful brat.

After about twenty minutes of kicking the boy, Hohenheim grew bored. He threw Ed onto the floor and stretched out his back.

"Leave and don't come back to my sight. I don't want to see your ugly face until after diner," Ed picked himself up from the floor and nodded. He ran up the stairs and entered his bedroom, making sure to lock the door behind him. When he entered Al rushed over to him.

"Brother! Are you okay?" he helped Ed over to his bed to sit down.

"I'm fine Al. He didn't break anything this time," Ed tried to chuckle, but it quickly turned into a cough.

"Brother!" Al began rubbing Ed's back as he coughed harder. Ed leaned over and placed his hands over his mouth as he hacked really hard, making his whole body hiss in pain. He felt something sticky in his hands. Confused he pulled them away and gasped. Both of his gloved hands were _covered_ in blood. Al let out a gasp as well. Some blood dribbled from the corner of Ed's mouth as well

"Well I guess that bastard did damage something," Ed smiled sadly as his eyes drooped. Al looked at him with worry. Brother was always so strong for him, but he wished that he let people help him more often.

"Why don't you get some sleep brother? I'll wake you when you need to make dinner okay?" Ed barely let out a reply as his head hit the pillow and he began to snore. Al sighed and undressed him, taking in all of the bruises forming on his chest and stomach.

"Why don't you let others help you brother?"

* * *

><p>"Hey! Ed…" Maes hand slowly fell to his side as he took in Ed's hunched shoulders and sad features. Just yesterday he seemed so happy and full of life, sure he was a little strange but he really liked the kid. Roy turned to Edward, his eyes widened slightly when they fell onto the blond boy. Although worry was evident on both of their features, they walked over to the Elric brothers with a sense of serenity.<p>

"Hey Ed, Alphonse. How are you doing?" Roy gave Alphonse a little worried look before Ed lifted his head up, a smirk had made its way to the boy's features, making his eyes twinkle with mischief.

"Hello bastard. We were doing just _fine_ until you showed up," Ed stuck his tongue out at Roy, making the other three gasp. Alphonse was the most shocked. At their last school, Ed never interacted with anybody but him. Something about their new friends was different. A feeling of determination settled into Al's gut as he thought. _They are going to help me save brother. I know that they are different._

"Well… race you to class!" Maes bolted, leaving them in confusion before they stumbled over their feet to catch up with the crazy junior.

* * *

><p>The bell rang in an annoying tone as the teacher closed his text book and removed his glasses.<p>

"Alright class, make sure to do the homework posted on my website," Ed stood up to follow his class out the door when the teacher called out to him.

"Oh, Edward! Do you mind if we speak for a moment. I promise it won't take long," Ed glanced back at the teacher, debating if he should stay for the extra moments before heading home. He shrugged his shoulders and walked back to the teacher's desk.

"Yes. What is it that we need to talk about?" the teacher smiled and glanced around making sure that no students were around. _Probably a congrats on some good grades,_ Ed thought as the teacher looked back at him. He had short yet stylish brown hair and blue eyes. He had about a foot on Ed, which annoyed him a bit.

"Well I wanted to tell you that I recently talked to your father and he told me some _interesting_ things. I was also promised a little something from you if I kept my mouth shut," a shiver ran down Ed's spine as he froze under the guy's predatory stare. The man's smile turned into a smirk as he watched the fear run through Ed's small frame.

"W-w-what k-kind of s-s-something?" Ed already knew what it was. This wasn't the first time that Hohenheim got a teacher interested.

* * *

><p>"I think you will find out," the teacher said as he walked around the desk placing a hand on one of Ed's shivering shoulders.<p>

"Hey Al! Whatcha waiting for?" Al's head popped up as he heard Maes call out his name. A small smile wound up on his face, Roy was with him per usual. They always seemed to be together.

"Oh, I'm just waiting for brother. It's strange. He should be out by now," Al checked the clock nervously. It read 2:48. School was out by 2:30, so what was taking him so long.

"I have an idea," Roy stepped towards the school doors, "why don't we go look for-" the door was thrown open, hitting Roy in the face making him collapse. Ed stood there panting with his face flushed. _Most likely from running, _Al thought as he caught his breath.

"Hey guys," he said between pants. "You were waiting for me?" Maes nodded.

"Yeah, where were you? Ow!" Roy stood up and his hand made its way to his nose. Ed's eyes widened and Al flinched. He knew how much brother hated people getting hurt, especially if it was his fault. That was one of the reasons that Ed would take all of their father's blows. Ed went over to Roy, concern in his eyes.

"Oh my gate, I am so sorry. Are you okay Roy?" Ed lifted Roy's hand off of his face to look at his nose. It was a little swollen, but thankfully not broken. A little sigh of relief left Ed's mouth as Roy stood there in silence.

"Um…" Ed glanced back up at Roy, "Can I have my hand back?" Ed looked to his hand, realizing that he was still clutching Roy's. A blush wrote itself onto Ed's cheeks, making Roy chuckle as he stepped away, dropping his hand.

"Oh… um… sorry," Roy shook his head, smiling.

"It's alright, shortie," Roy smirked as a slight twitch was noticed in Ed's face.

"What did you just call me?"

"Oh nothing, shor~tie," Maes giggled as a look of dread crossed Al's face.

"Who ya' calling so small that you can't see them under a microscope!" Ed yelled in a rage as he lunged at Roy. Al sighed as they chased each other around the front of the school. He glanced at his watch and felt sadness fill him.

"Bro-" Al felt the air rush out of him as he was tackled to the ground by Ed, right as Roy tripped over the both of them and fall to their left. Ed put a hand over his mouth to hide a giggle as Roy pulled his face up to show it covered in dirt.

"Brother?" Al asked as Ed's face became bright red. He reached his hand out to him when Ed fell over in a fit of laughter.

"Oh my gate," Ed gasped for air, "you look so stupid!" Roy sat there dumbfounded as Ed continued to laugh. Al frowned as he glanced at his watch again.

"Brother," Al tugged at Ed's sleeve. Ed looked at him questioningly. Al gestured to his watch and Ed's eyes widened.

"Oh shit," he whispered as he stood up and grabbed his bag that lay in the middle of the court yard. He looked back at Al with wide eyes.

"Come on, let's go home," Roy saw Ed's widened eyes and frowned as he brushed dirt and other crap off of his face and chest. Something was definitely wrong. But what?

"See ya' later bastard!" Ed yelled as he ran off with Al at his heals. Maes walked over to Roy, whom was still observing the two boys with interest.

"There is something strange going on around those two, and I am going to find out what."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay this chapter took a long time to write because I was working on a bunch of school related crap (yeah lame excuse I know) but! It ended up sucking butt. But thank you Akuma no Tenshi and MignognaNerd for reviewing! You are my two favorite people right now! Kiss~ -3-<strong>

**Anywho! Please review even if this chapter was bad! BYE~**


	3. Chapter 3

"Ed, is something wro-"

"I'm fine Alphonse okay!" Al flinched at his brother's outburst. Ed sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry for yelling at you. It's just… apparently one of my teachers talked to _him _and well… you can guess what happened." Al looked at his brother with wide, concerning eyes. Ed looked down and smiled sadly.

"I'm a failure aren't I?" Al shook his head and grabbed Ed's hand.

"It's okay brother. I promise you," little did the brothers know that Hughes had dragged Roy to follow the two blonds home and they were currently sitting in the bushes five feet from them. Hughes shook Roy's shoulder.

"Hey! What do you think Ed meant by that?" he whispered as Roy watched Ed. He shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth to reply when Edward spoke up again.

"Anyways, come on Alphonse; let's get home so that I can make dinner," they watched as Al seemed to deflate at the mention of going home. _Maybe that had something to do with Ed's mood today?_ _Nah, _Roy thought shaking his head as the two began their trudge home with Roy and Maes following them.

They arrived at a normal looking house with a cream paint and red and yellow flowers lining the driveway up to the porch. Ed and Al stopped at the sidewalk and stared at the house for a moment. Waiting for… something. Roy stared at Ed in confusion, taking in his tensed form and hunched shoulders, a sign of submission and fear. There was something wrong with the Elric's home, the two friends knew that now as they watched the boys slowly walk up the drive and enter the house.

Ed let out a sigh as he shut the door behind him. Hohenheim wouldn't be home for another hour or so, so Ed could finish his homework and start on dinner before that _man _got back. He straightened up and walked up to his room with Al on his heels. They settled into their desks that faced the window on their wall and began to work on the papers they were assigned that day.

Twenty minutes later, Ed let out a huge yawn and leaned back in his chair as he stretched his arms over his head. He peeked over at the clock that read 4:56 and he practically fell out of his chair. Al looked up when he heard Ed move and followed his brother's gaze to the clock. He sighed and stood up.

"You know that I could always make dinner while you take a nap brother?" Ed looked at him and frowned. No way in hell was he going to let Hohenheim hurt Alphonse.

"No, Al I've got this, okay? Why don't you read of something while I start on dinner," Al sighed and nodded dully. He hated hearing Ed get hurt or even looking at his brother's mangled body. He already had a prosthetic arm and leg from the accident that happened when Ed was eight and Al seven.

Al shivered at the thought and quickly pushed it from his mind as his brother left the room and descended the stairs slowly.

Ed gripped the stair railing tightly as he went down, a trail of silent tears streaming down his face. He couldn't let Alphonse see him like this, he had to be strong for his little brother and protect him like his mom had always told him too. Ed flung a hand over his mouth as he let out a whimper, and ran down the rest of the way into the safety of the kitchen where he could be alone.

He reached down and opened up one of the cabinet doors towards the corner of the room, and climbed in, shutting the door behind him. Inside the cabinet, Ed huddled up into a ball and pressed his face into his knees as his shoulders shook.

It was too much, just too much. But he couldn't tell anyone in fear of them not believing. He couldn't run away or else Alphonse would get hurt. If he were to show anyone the damage they would likely hurt him more because he was a freak. That's all that he was. Some freak with two metal limbs and no mother. A stupid, worthless, metal limbed freak.

The front door slammed open, making Ed jump and bump his head against the top of the cabinet.

"Ow," he whined as he gripped his skull and peeked out of his hiding places ever so quietly. Fear rose up in his stomach as he recognized the khaki pants and dress shoes that his father wore enter the kitchen furiously. They stopped by the counter and Ed heard a hand slap down on to the marble.

"Edward, you little faggot! Where the fuck is my dinner?" Ed jumped back and hit his head against the inside of the cabinet again making Hohenheim freeze and turn around. The man crouched down so that he was level with the cabinet and gripped the knob, pulling it open at a pace that made Ed's heart beat faster then he thought imaginable. A sly smile crossed Hohenheim's face as he looked into his eldest son's frightened features.

"Found you" ,he reached in and yanked Ed out by his hair before the boy could react. Ed let out a cry and reached up to pull his hand off but Hohenheim knew better and threw him at the kitchen counter. The wind was knocked out of Ed and he fell to the ground, wheezing in pain as he clutched his stomach that tried to empty itself. Hohenheim tsk'ed and kicked Ed in the abdomen.

"You are such a disappointment, you know that!?" he brought his foot down again, making Ed squeak and shut his eyes against his tears. He absolutely hated the pain but whenever he fought back it would be worse. Al would be hurt and Ed just couldn't stand watching his little brother go through any sort of pain.

"You should have been the one to die! Not Trisha! Not her," tears gathered at the edges of Hohenheim's eyes and he leaned against the table, pressing his hand into his eyes. Ed curled up into a ball and began to scoot away, very slowly. He kept an eye on Hohenheim, just a little farther and he would… there was a loud thud as he bumped into a chair, making his father look up at him.

Hohenheim stomped over to Ed and growled, grabbing his hair again and pulling him up to his feet. Ed stared into Hohenheim's eyes with fear as his head began to throb from his hair being pulled.

"Maybe you need a lesson, hm?" his breath ghosted over Ed's face, it stank of alcohol – a smell that he had become accustomed to much to Ed's displeasure. He bit back a yelp when Hohenheim dragged his slimy tongue up his cheek. Ed tried to shove him away, tried to escape but Hohenheim growled and smacked Ed's head hard on the table, making the small boy fall unconscious.

* * *

><p>Al peeked out through a crack in the door when he heard a high-pitched yelp from the kitchen. He jumped back when he heard thumping up the stairs. It was slower than how his father usually walked, so Al peeked out again and clasped a hand over his mouth to contain a gasp. He stared wide eyed as his father walked up the stairs with his older brother thrown over his shoulder like a rag doll. Tears gathered in his eyes when he saw the blood dripping from the back of Ed's head as Hohenheim passed.<p>

Al closed the door and slumped against the wall, the tears sprung from his eyes but he kept his hand over his mouth, remembering what Edward would say.

"_But Brother-"_

"_Just keep your hands over your mouth Alphonse okay? It will keep you safe as long as you don't make any noise until I come back," Ed smiled and squeezed Al's shoulder's, then stood up and walked towards the door. Al reached a hand out to Ed and grabbed the back of his shirt._

"_But what about you Brother? Daddy has been really mean lately and I don't want to see you hurt," Ed had chuckled and then ruffled Al's short hair._

"_Don't worry, I'll be fine…"_

Al closed his eyes and his shoulder's shook as he heard Ed scream out in pain. His hands fumbled as he reached for the desk and grabbed his IPod and headphones, a gift from Winry at his last birthday. Al went into the music and shuffled through the songs, turning it up until it drowned out everything, even his thoughts.

After a while his tears dried and he softly began to hum to the song. It was one that Ed had made a while ago when their Dad was gone for the day, a rare opportunity that they would use to make music.

Al smiled softly and opened his mouth to sing along with his dear older brother that would always protect him no matter what.

_How can I repay you brother of mine?__  
><em>_How can I expect you to forgive?__  
><em>_Clinging to the past I shed our blood__  
><em>_And shattered your chance to live__  
><em>_Though I knew the laws__  
><em>_I paid no heed__  
><em>_How can I return your wasted breath?__  
><em>_What I did not know has cost you dear__  
><em>_For there is no cure for death.__Beautiful mother, soft and sweet__  
><em>_Once you were gone, we were not complete__  
><em>_Back through the years we reached for you__  
><em>_At last was not meant to be__  
><em>_And how can I make amends?__  
><em>_For all that I took from you__  
><em>_I lead you with hopeless dreams__  
><em>_My brother I was a fool.__Don't cry for the past now brother of mine__  
><em>_Neither you nor I are free from grief__  
><em>_Nothing can erase the things we did__  
><em>_For the path we took was the same__Beautiful mother, soft and sweet__  
><em>_Once you were gone, we were not complete__  
><em>_Back through the years we reached for you__  
><em>_At last was not meant to be__  
><em>_My dreams made me blinding you__  
><em>_I longed to be returned to that time__I followed without a word__  
><em>_My brother the fault is mine__  
><em>_So where do we go from here?__  
><em>_And how to forget and forgive__  
><em>_What's gone is forever lost__  
><em>_Now all we can do is live._

Al's eyes drooped as the song ended and he slowly slipped into sleep.

* * *

><p>Alphonse eyes snapped open when he heard the door creak as it was opened. There was an uneven shuffle as someone walked into the room. He looked over at the clock to see that it read 5:23, and cringed. He flicked on his light and jumped out of bed when he saw Ed limping over to his bed, his hair a tangled mess.<p>

"Brother!" he called out in a hushed tone. Ed groaned as Al helped him into bed. Al held back new tears as Ed's shirt slid up to reveal claw marks that resembled finger-nails. Ed moaned again and glanced at the clock.

"Have… to get… ready for…" Ed tried to sit up but Al pushed him back down softly and tucked him in.

"Shhh, it's okay Brother. You can stay home today alright? Just stay and rest," Ed shook his head and tried to sit up again. Al pushed him back down. "It is alright Brother, I promise you. Just sleep for a while okay?" Al gave him a pleading look and Ed finally gave in, nodding his head sullenly and closing his eyes as he settled into the pillow with a content sigh.

Al looked at his brother for a moment then went over to his bed and took the blankets off and tucked them around Ed. Al walked over to the door, glancing at Ed once more before leaving. He grabbed his bag while running down the stairs and snagged a sandwich from the fridge as he ran out the door.

He walked down the street towards the school in silence, thoughts of his brother plaguing him. Alphonse sighed as he turned a corner, running into someone.

"Oh! I'm sorry…" Al froze when he saw Roy and Hughes. "G-Good morning Roy, Maes."

"Hey there Alphonse!" Maes jumped in with gusto, and then looked around in confusion. "Where's Edward?" Al stood there for a moment, hesitating over how he should reply.

"Um, well Brother said that he wasn't feeling good this morning and decided to stay home sick. He was working really hard yesterday on his biology project and he made dinner too so I guess it makes sense," Al said with a sad smile. Roy nodded in understanding while Maes gave him a sad look.

"Oh! Poor Edward! Being so brave and valiant as he ventures into a new school with heavy burdens!"

"Shut up, Hughes," Roy said pressing his palm into his head as the three walked to school. When they arrived at school Al parted from them to go to his locker and the two raven haired men looked at each other with suspicious glares.

"This is obviously not some normal fatigue Roy. The Elric brothers are obviously hiding something, especially Edward," Roy nodded and scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Ya' thinking what I'm thinking Hughes?"his friend smiled and patted his shoulder as he walked off.

"I'll meet you at the usual place after school. Make sure to keep an eye on Alphonse."


	4. Chapter 4

Roy would have ditched Maes in a situation like this but for once he actually agreed with his crazy friend. Something was really wrong with their new friends.

He met up with Maes and the two began their mission to follow Alphonse Elric home. Thankfully Maes hadn't told their other friends because they would have tagged along as well.

Soon they had arrived at the Elric's home again and they watched as Al quickly shuffled inside and closed the door. They ran up and Maes expertly picked the lock, allowing them to sneak in. The inside of the house looked normal enough albeit it being quite bare of any personal items.

They heard a car pulling into the driveway and the two dove behind the couch, peeking back out when they heard someone running down the stairs.

Both of their eyes widened when they saw Ed standing their with a bandage on his cheek and his right arm bandaged from his fingertips to his shoulder. He had a determined look on his face as the front door to reveal a man with long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and glasses. He had an annoyed look on his face as he kicked his shoes off and walked past Edward to sit on one of the lounge chairs.

"Well?" Edward ran to the kitchen and came back with a beer that he gave to the man. Roy was slightly confused at their relationship. Was the man his father? Guardian?

Just then the man took the bottle and threw it at the wall next to Edward, the boy flinched as it shattered. The two friends froze at what they watched next.

"You fucking faggot! You never do anything right!" he walked over and yanked on the younger boys hair, Ed flinched and make a pained expression but didn't make any move to release himself. Ed was thrown down and kicked across the floor.

"I'm sorry, sir," the man snorted and kicked Ed hard in the face.

"Damn right you are," Ed coughed blood onto the floor and the man cringed. "have this cleaned up when I get back, faggot," Ed continued to cough as he left. Roy and Maes stood up as Alphonse flew down the stairs and over to the coughing Edward.

"Brother! I told you to rest, your not well yet," Al rubbed his back and Ed heaved as he threw-up all over the floor. Alphonse and Maes gasped when they saw it was dyed red with blood.

"Brother! Why didn't you tell me it got this bad?" Ed shook his head and Al helped him up just to notice the two other Juniors standing in the room. His face paled and he held Edward tightly to him.

"Wait here while I put Brother back to bed," Alphonse tried to pull Ed up the stairs but he kept losing his grip since he was shaking so much. Roy ran over and helped Al carry Ed. "Thanks," they carried the half-conscious teen up the stairs and laid him down on a twin bed that was most likely Edward's. When they got downstairs Maes was cleaning up the barf off the hardwood floor.

When they finished cleaning up Alphonse had them sit down on the couch as he fetched them drinks. He came back with some bottled waters for them and he sat down on the lounge chair. They didn't speak until Roy finally broke the silence.

"Who was that man?" Al looked at them guiltily.

"Our father."

"How long has he been like this?"

"Since I was eight, it started after our mom and Ed got into an accident."

"Car accident?"

"Yes, our mom was killed and Ed got into a little….. predicament so to speak," Roy narrowed his eyes.

"What happened to Edward?" Alphonse shook his head.

"It's not my place to tell," Roy was going to ask another question when they heard Ed talk.

"Hey Al? Who are you talking too…" they all turned and saw Ed standing at the bottom of the stairs with wide eyes. Edward was shaking visibly and he grabbed his bandaged arm. "W-what are y-you doing h-here?" Roy stood up and Ed flinched.

"Ed, please we just want to help," Ed's eyes widened and he shook his head hard. He was close to having a panic attack.

"They said they would help to, but they lied! How can I trust you…" Ed trailed off when they heard the engines to a car come back. Moving quickly, Ed shoved Roy and Maes into a closet. "Stay here for 15 minutes then go out the front door, we can talk more tomorrow," before they could protest Ed shut the door and both of them sat there. They heard some commotion outside and a few thumps before there were heavy footsteps up the stairs and the slamming of a door.

After a few more minutes they opened the door and went to leave, Roy stared at the door that led to Ed's room as they closed the door.

* * *

><p>Roy didn't see Ed or Al the day after that or even the day after that. Soon it was the weekend and Roy was trying to think of a way to contact the Elric's without going to their house. He debated asking Maes to help him but they would probably end up doing something illegal. The thought of calling the police crossed his mind but then Edward probably wouldn't tell them anything.<p>

Groaning in frustration, Roy dropped into the chair that sat in front of his laptop. It was currently on an English paper he had been working on; he opened up a new tab and typed into the search bar "Edward Elric". What came up was way more than he wanted.

An article about a car crash popped up. It had happened seven years back and was a big disaster at the time. On the highway there had been an 8-car pile up and all but one died. The boy was found under his dead mother's body trapped in-between two pieces of metal that had collapsed. One had killed his mother and ran through his right arm at the shoulder and the other sheet and completely crushed his left leg and mother. They only found him because of his pained screams. Roy shook and stopped reading. God, could that have been Edward?

Skipping the descriptions of who else had died he found the next part with the boy. He was eight-years-old and named Edward Elric. The woman that had died was Trisha Elric. Roy leaned back with a horrified expression at the picture of a young, smiling Edward and the woman that was supposedly Trisha Elric.

"Damn," Roy began to stand up when his cell beeped. Frowning he picked it up and looked at the text that showed up. He didn't recognize the number but his heart sped up as he read it.

**From:(xxx)-xxx-xxxx**

**meet me at the crimson cafe. me and Al will explain some things.  
>hope your not mad<strong>

**-Ed**

Sending a quick response without wondering how Ed got his number, Roy ran down stairs to pull his shoes and jacket on. Maes popped up right as he did with a curious look.

"Where ya' going Roy-boy?" he had the urge to ignore his friend and meet up with Ed, but if he didn't say anything Maes would get suspicious and follow him like the creep he was. He looked back and flashed a devious grin.

"Just going on a little date with this hot girl Ella, why? Do you want to see some action?" Roy wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as Maes stuck his tongue out.

"You know I am faithful only to my darling Gracia! Hmph!" with that Roy was free and ran outside to hop into his car. On his way he thought that maybe he should pick up Edward, but shook his head and continued.

A few minutes later he arrived at the cafe and walked in. He looked around and when he didn't see the Elric's he sat down and ordered himself a coffee. While waiting he looked around at the other people. A few older women sat in their chatting lively and a couple sat in a booth cuddled together. Who he didn't notice was the Elric's walking in and sliding into the booth with Roy.

"Hey, you okay Roy?" the raven-haired man turned back and felt his heart jump when he finally saw the boys.

"Don't scare me like that! How long have you two been here?" they glanced at each other before Al responded.

"We just arrived, it took a while to walk here. Brother didn't really seem all that happy about going out today," Al sent a sad smile towards his sulking older brother. Roy nodded silently and watched them. So many questions ran through his mind as they called a waitress over and ordered drinks for themselves. He looked at Ed's gloved hands but specifically the right one. What had happened after the incident? Did he have scars? How was he still able to walk or move even? He watched as Al cracked a joke, making the older Elric smile.

How could he smile?

The brother's drinks had arrived and they both slurpped away happily. Ed leaned back and hiccuped, making Al giggle and Roy smile. Ed stuck his tongue out at both of them and continued to drink.

"How can you still go on?" Roy only realized he had spoken out loud when two pairs of golden eyes were watching him questioningly.

"W-what do you mean Roy?" he looked at Ed's confused and fearful face. Roy bit his lip, should I really push it? Giving in, the older man asked him.

"How long has _that_ been going on Ed? I don't like it," the blonde chuckled nervously and began to play with the straw on his cup.

"Well…" he glanced at Roy from under his bangs and fidgeted when the onyx eyes bore back at him. "I guess… just a few years, it usually isn't this bad. He just had.. this problem with his job or something!" Ed scratched his head nervously and went back to his drink. His fingers drummed out a beat on the table with one hand and the other held his cup tightly.

The younger Elric was fidgeting and glanced back between the two elder boys.

"Um-" Roy reached out and grabbed the hand that was holding Ed's cup. Edward stopped and stared at Roy. They held the staring contest for a while before Roy let go and stood up. He threw a few dollars on the table and turned to leave.

"You can always come if you need help, Edward. Not everyone is out to get you, you know?"


End file.
